Soleanna
Soleanna ( ソレアナ Soreana?), also known as the City of Water (水の都 Mizu no miyako?), is the main setting of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (2006). It is a beautiful coastal city-state, kingdom and country on Earth. Description The city is a constitutional monarchy, with an economy dominated by tourism and precision machinery. Politically, it does not appear to be part of the United Federation, or under the protection of the Guardian Units of Nations. Reigning male monarchs apparently eschew the title "King", and Soleanna's sovereign is generally known as 'Duke' if male or either 'Queen' or 'Princess' if female. The small nation is apparently wealthy and prosperous; with its urban environments bearing resemblance to modern Mediterranean cities. However, Soleanna is shown to possess highly advanced technology, as is evident in Aquatic Base, a research lab underneath the ancient Royal Palace (located in Kingdom Valley). The city worships a deity known as Solaris, "The Eternal Sun God", who is honored during the "Festival of the Sun". Soleanna's sovereign during the events of Sonic the Hedgehog is the young Princess Elise, introduced while presiding over this ceremony. In the game's timeline, the ancient castle that used to house the royal family in Kingdom Valley has been abandoned after the Solaris Project accident. The new castle is on an island off of Castle Town near New City – although it is unclear if this remains true in the new timeline after the game. Soleanna New City Soleanna New City is an Adventure Field in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). One of the three overworld areas in the game, this area is an important hub for Action Stage access, Town Missions and hidden medals. The commercial and industrial center of Soleanna, the New City is decidedly more modern-looking than its counterpart Castle Town. Tall buildings and wide roads have taken over from rustic boutiques and cobbled footpaths; there's even a modern port area with warehouses and ship-loading cranes, and the headquarters of the Rimlight Corporation can be found here. There are a couple of GUN agents quietly operating here, as Shadow the Hedgehog can discover. The New City isn't all business, however, as it also hosts Soleanna's marina, where colorful yachts crowd the jetties. The Soleanna Sun Festival Soleanna, being a cultural center, is the holder of numerous celebrities. The most famous event is known as the "Soleanna Sun Festival". The sun has been always sacred in the city, it is an important part of the culture of Soleanna, and the citizens give thanks for the sun by honouring the traditional sun god, Solaris. The festival is being held at night, but all buildings and towers are well lighted and may fireworks are launched, adding a special mood to the event. Although all of the people pray to the sun, the most important actions come from the current ruler of Soleanna. He or she has the opportunity to travel through the rivers of Soleanna on a wonderful boat, while dancers dance in front of the ruler in yellow dresses, making a reference to the sunlight. After the ruler traveled through the city, the boat heads for the "Altar of Light" also known as the "Altar of Flame". This altar takes place in the downtown of Soleanna, in a central place. When the current ruler arrived, he or she is greeted by the bishop, then he or she is given a torch. The ruler is supposed to light up the altar with the torch, saying the following line: "We give thanks for the blessed flames. May we always continue to have peace. Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light". The altar lights up and the fireworks are launched into the air. Crisis City and Paradox There are some hints that Crisis City is, in fact, Soleanna in Silver's future. The ruined buildings bear physical resemblance to those seen in downtown Soleanna during the main timeline. Further indications come in the form of Dr. Eggman's still-active base, and Elise's apparent hallucination of Soleanna in flames, with Iblis in the center, during the opening cutscene of Sonic's story. Following the Solaris paradox at the end of the game, Soleanna's monarch is unknown; it may be the Duke or Elise. ''Nintendo World'' Soleanna reappeared as hub in Nintendo World. Appearances in Other Media Archie Comics Soleanna is a location mentioned in the Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series and spin-offs. In this media, Soleanna is a Human/Overlander settlement in Eurish, created as a part of the Hidden City Initiative, and a city-state of the United Federation and is ruled by Princess Elise. Trivia *The eagle seems to represent Soleanna due to the fact that the medals are marked by an eagle, the birds appear in the levels, and Solaris' mask is shaped like an eagle. *During the scene in Sonic's story after they come back from the future, Sonic picks up a newspaper. If you look closely at it, it's called the Daily 'Soreana'. *In the nighttime version of Sonic Unleashed's Skyscraper Scamper, there is a neon sign reading "Soleanna Hotel" in yellow. *Soleanna is based on and has a similar style to the water city of Venice, Italy, which may be how Silver got his original name. *Soleanna is mentioned in [http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Archie_Sonic_Universe_Issue_4 Sonic Universe #4] when Shadow and Hope are on the cliff. Hope says "You can see all the way to Soleanna!". *Soleanna is well known for its delicious food, such as their juicy apples and the Freight Sandwich. *The people of Soleanna celebrate many festivals, including The Soleanna Apple Festival, The Water Target Tournament, The Ring Race, and most importantly, the Festival of the Sun, where they pay honor and tribute to Solaris. *There are actually no roofs on the skyscrapers in New City. If one were to enter as Sonic and use the Sky Gem Custom Action, they could see for themselves. For this to work, one would have to throw a Gem at an angle at a building, causing Sonic to fly upward at high speeds. If the player tries to fall down on the nonexistent roof, they will fall through the building, and eventually out of the bottom of the area. *Ironically, the Solaris Festival, held in honor of the sun god Solaris, is held at night rather than during the day. Also, Soleanna is the city of water, but their god is a fire creature. Category:Kingdoms Category:Countries Category:Earth Locations